


The miraculous mail mess

by toastycatty



Series: The Everyday Heroes Alliance [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: After Party, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Meditation, Multi, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Psychological Trauma, Show Must Go On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:40:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29805126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toastycatty/pseuds/toastycatty
Summary: His very first thought was to send an alert to the EHA dashboard, because he was spiralling into full-blown panic. Like, if a neon-purple butterfly came fluttering his way, Adrien wouldn’t be able to keep it at bay. The  next thing he thought was, "Wait, no." Because there was no  way Hawkmoth would attack him if he had in his very hands the accursed butterfly miraculous.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Duusu/Nooroo (Miraculous Ladybug), Emilie Agreste & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Plagg/Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Series: The Everyday Heroes Alliance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190816
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. The parcel from Tibet

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short fic that expands on The Everyday Heroes Alliance. I recommend you check that one out first, but I think this makes sense on its own, mostly.

His very first thought was to send an alert to the EHA dashboard, because he was spiralling into full-blown panic. Like, if a neon-purple butterfly came fluttering his way, Adrien wouldn’t be able to keep it at bay. The next thing he thought was, _Wait, no_. Because there was no way Hawkmoth would attack him if he had in his very hands the accursed butterfly miraculous. 

His next impulse then was to throw the box out the window. It burned in his hand like a smoldering cinder, even though it was merely a discreet wooden box with two brooches sitting innocently inside it. The silent, nagging pull at his T-shirt snapped him out of his daze. Plagg, he realized, was probably as troubled as he was. He shut the box closed in a spasm. 

He yelled at nobody in particular that he'd leave the package in his room and be back. And dashed. 

The bedroom door clicked behind him. He took a deep breath. Tried to. His body shook, his breath hitching, any control over his diaphragm long lost. He gingerly put the offensive item on the floor and started pacing the room. Were they even real? What kind of sick joke could it be? What if it was not a joke? He put his arms up, trying to catch his breath? Would it help? What if he was, for some twisted reason, now in possession of the two missing miraculous, the peacock, wielded by the elusive Mayura, and the Butterfly, abused beyond recognition by...

“...your father?” Marinette inquired, a worried look marring her face.

He turned around suddenly, not having noticed her lingering by his bedroom door.

“Sorry,” she explained softly, “I knocked, but you didn’t answer... You said you were just dropping the package your father sent and coming back, but it’s been a while now and..” 

He attempted to no avail to tame the wildness in his expression. Failing miserably, it seemed, because she slowly helped herself in and closed the door behind her.

“Is... ” she attempted, "...everything alright?"

Plagg zoomed and came to hover in front of the guardian. “Marinette!” he whimpered.

She turned to Adrien questioningly, but the kwami flew in front of her eyes again. “It’s an emergency,” he insisted, grabbing her nose. “Open the box!”

She picked the envelope, and the item that lay discarded on the floor and the kwami went back to his wielder, perching himself on the boy’s shoulder and purring furiously. The envelope was brown and plain, but sturdy, and had an impressive number of stamps. It was addressed to M. Adrien Agreste, to his new appartment, but the sender was Gabriel Agreste with no other information. 

“Open the box!” Plagg insisted.

Box open on her hand, she froze into place. “Are they... the real thing?” she mumbled, “... Tikki?”

Her red companion zoomed out of her purse. She zipped around, and pronounced, “They feel like the real thing, but there’s only one way to know...”

She understood. She feared it. Her fingers quivered closer.

“Better sit down first,” the kwami exclaimed. 

She plummeted to the bed, by her partner. Steeling her nerves, she opened the box again.

“What are you doing?” Adrien finally asked.

“If they are... the real thing, they will activate...” she said.

“Wait,” he sprang up and marched to the door, locking it. He came back and knelt by her side. “Let me do it,” he pleaded, “what if it’s a trap?”

“There’s no time for that...” she replied, “they are waiting for us, and...”

He grabbed the brooches, not willing to argue. She should've complained, but her attention became otherwise engaged.

A blue bolt and a lilac one emerged in between Adrien's fingers. Red and a black joined them in a frenetic dance.

“They are real, alright,” Marinette dead panned.

Adrien nodded.

“Nooroo?” she attempted, “Duusu?” They came to a stand still.

“Master,” they choired meekly, coming to float before her.

She was at a loss for words, so went into default polite mode. “Welcome,” she breathed, feeling rather ridiculous. They needed a battle plan, she looked around and said, “stay in this room hidden with Plagg and Tikki.” She paused and looked at her kwami, who nooded in aproval. “I'm sure you'll want to catch up. We’ll bring you food.” She looked at Adrien, “And we’ll talk later.” She pried the brooches from Adrien’s bland grasp and placed them in the socks drawer of his wardrobe. The kwamis phased throw the wooden panel and, probably, nested among Adrien's freshly pressed shirts. 

She hurried back to him and wrapped her arms around him tight. He dissolved in a sob before embracing her back. They stayed like that for some minutes before she ventured and asked, “Mmm... What do you wanna do?” He remained quiet so she pressed on. “We can send everyone home, and throw the housewarming party some other day.” She started stroking his hair. “We can take a stroll and walk it out, or we can go back to our friends and binge eat all our macaron supplies. They’ll know not to ask," she said. "Or we can talk about it...?”

“I...” he stammered, “I don’t know wh-what this even means... I don’t think... I want to think about it just know...” He let go of her gently, leveling their gazes. “Can we just... go back to our friends? ...and have a good time? And deal with this later?” He held her hands on his own, a plea glimmering in his watery eyes.

She kissed his knuckles. “Of course! I think,” she said, “we have all the time in the world.”


	2. The elephant in the party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien focuses on partying.

Marinette ushered him out of the bedroom. He took a deep breath, refusing to let this day be ruined. Refusing to let yet another thing be ruined by Father. Nino eyed him with as much discretion as he could muster.

‘What did your dad do?“ he asked. Which wasn’t OK, because Nino was aiming for _What did your dad send?_ or _What do you want to do?_ But the unconscious has mysterious ways.

Adrien's petrified response seemed to be enough. His friend patted his shoulder.

‘Hey, sorry, bud,“ he apologised, “You don’t need to tell me.” Nino gauged Adrien. “Could you use a hug?”

The blond nodded, and Nino wrapped him in a bear hug.

“Group hug!” Alya announced, rushing in and putting her arms around the two boys, her head resting on her boyfriend’s shoulder. 

“Group hug!” Marinette choired, and Rose, Mylene, Ivan and Luka joined the human wrap. Chloe, Kagami and Juleka came to, but they just patted whatever part of Adrien was left available.

“We’ve got your back,‘ Alya told him.

“Thanks, guys,” he smiled.

Nino said, “is it too much?”

Adrien replied, “a bit.”

To which Nino’s immediate response was to announce, “OK, everyone, back off. Suffocatin’ ain’t lovin’, Let’s give the boy some space!”

“Thanks, everyone..” Adrien said, scratching his neck.

“That’s what friends are for,” said Rose.

“What can we do for you?” Ivan asked.

Adrien beamed, “Let’s make this place look like a party!”

***

It was a very enjoyable evening. Adrien hummed or played along to every musical piece they tackled. He even got Kagami to sing in Japanese any anime opening they managed to play (which turned out to be quite a few.) He made sure every bowl was brimming with snacks all the time, and all glasses were full, and everyone had napkins, and lent jackets and blankets when the wee hours of the night turned cold. And got Max and Marcov to explain to him how every smart appliance worked, And played a couple of chess matches with Wayhem, and was sorely defeated in the UMS III tournament, but came second in Twister, and fourth in Uno. He became engrossed in every anecdote they had to recount, (and Chloe had a few of her own). He tucked a blanket around Alix and Nath when they fell asleep on the couch.

And when no one but himself and Marinette were awake, he tackled the dishes, which she dried while chattering away, steadfast by his side. He would’ve wanted to tidy up and take out the trash, but Sabrina and Kim had insisted on doing it before going home. A sense of dread cropped up, as he realised he had nothing left to do. 

Marinette put away the last dish and closed the cupbord. “Shall we go to the bakery and fetch breakfast for the gang?” she suggested.

Visibly relieved, he nodded. “I’ll get you a jacket.”

‘Let’s give some snacks to the little ones too,“ she said. She grabbed his hand in hers, and balanced some tupperware in the other. 

Of course he knew they were there, but it didn’t cease to send a chill down his spine. He glanced quickly at Chloe, Kagami and Luka sleeping on his bed.

“They are asleep too,” Marinette murmured, pointing at the multicoloured mini cuddle pile in the socks drawer. “I’ll leave these here,” she told him. ”If that’s OK with you...”

“Sure,” he agreed, “let’s get human breakfast now.”

The walk to Tom and Sabine’s was short but enjoyable. It was that time when the grey starts melting into orange and red, but ends up a clear blue, a spectacle for them alone to enjoy, their only company being the birds singing here and there, and the occasional car passing by. She wrapped her arm around his waist, so he rested his lightly across her shoulders.

The front door was closed, so Marinette knocked on the side door. He let go of her. Her father opened promptly, his smiling face speckled with flour.

‘Mari!“ he beamed, as she rushed to him and kissed his cheek, “I wasn’t expecting you this early... or late! Hello, Adrien.” 

The boy stood straighter and greeted, “Hello, sir!”

“It’s Tom, kiddo. Come on in!”

They followed him into the bakery kitchen. It was very hot, the ovens working at top capacity to have the first batches of fresh bread and treats ready for the early birds. 

“Have you eaten? Would you like something for breakfast?” the large man offered.

“No, and yes,” his daughter replied. “We left our friends back at Adrien’s and wanted to grab something to take back for breakfast.”

“Well, I haven’t got yesterday’s, so you got lucky,” Tom replied, “I’ve just taken out the first batches. Take some baguettes and pastries back. Take a bag, Mari.”

“Thanks, dad!” she said, sprinting to the counter.

“Thanks, Tom,” Adriend smiled. “How much do I owe you?”

“It’s a house-warming, gift, kiddo,” the man told him “Don’t worry about it.”

“Thanks, sir,” Adrien replied, “but remember I moved close and I intend to come often. Please charge me, because I wouldn’t feel comfortable otherwise.”

“Alright,” Tom accepted. “But not today,” he raised a floury finger.

“Thanks again.”

Tom watched him fidget and said, “Go with Marinette and pick the pastries you like best. Off you go!” and winked.

Adrien made a point of leaving a large bill in the tip jar when Marinette wasn’t looking. 

On their way back they mostly munched on chocolate croissants and cheese Danishes.

Back in the apartment, no one had stirred, so they decided to cuddle together in the chaise in the big balcony. The fairy lights were still on, and they didn’t feel like switching them off. She let him rest his head on the nook of the neck and he let her put her arms around him. 

“Do you think,” he whispered, “that the time you told me I got akumatized, and we were dating, it had something to do with father’s meddling?”

“Do you think,” she replied, “there’s a chance he just... found them?”

“The note said,” he reminded her, “that I shouldn’t touch them, and asked to forgive them if I found out what they meant.”

She sighed and stroked his hair.

“Fancy telling the deputy guardian that,” he smirked. “And there were no attacks ever since he went to Tibet. To Tibet, of all places!”

“It lines up,” she conceded. 

“It lines up,” he agreed.

“I think,” he pressed, “he upset a lot of people who ended up akumatised. It looks like it was on purpose, after all.”

“I looks like he won’t be doing it anymore.”

He made an indistinct noise.

“We can write to Tibet and check on the monastery,” she nudged. “We can even visit, if you are up to it. I can visit.”

He sighed, “Yeah, we should write, I think. We’ll see.”

“What are the terms of the bet, again?” Kagami asked, eying the two sleeping teens in the chaise.

“They need to make it public,” Chloe reminded him.

“Technicalities,” Alya yawned, “that matter.”

They finished setting the table for breakfast.

“I don’t find it in me to wake them up,” Nino said, “not after they gor us chocolate croissants.”

“Let’s just eat noisily,” Alix suggested, “and hope the clatter will do the job.”


End file.
